Advice
What’s It Like to Visit Someone You Love in Hospital?
July 28, 2026
Hospitals can feel intimidating, especially if you haven’t been to one before. Not knowing what to expect might make your mind race, and you might feel nervous or scared – you might also feel like you don’t want to go. This blog post aims to explain what a visit might be like and what you can expect.
What are hospitals actually like?
A hospital environment can feel a bit strange; there’s often bright lights, unfamiliar smells and sounds, and medical machines that you haven’t seen before. Depending on whether your loved one is in emergency care (such as A&E) or on a recovery ward, it might be quite busy and noisy with nurses and doctors coming and going, or it might seem strangely quiet. Sometimes you have to wait a long time in the waiting room, whereas other times the room could be full of other visitors – there might also be other patients nearby, who could either have similar illnesses or completely different injuries.
The hustle and bustle can be overwhelming, so taking a fidget toy or using noise cancelling headphones whilst you’re waiting can be really helpful.
Visiting someone with a serious illness
If your loved one is staying at a hospital due to a serious illness, they might look different compared to the last time you saw them, which can be quite a shock; they might seem more tired, pale or frail than usual, and they might have medical equipment attached to them such as drips, tubes or oxygen masks. The treatment your loved one is receiving can also affect how they look and feel, so they might be sleepy or confused or not able to talk much, or they might seem exactly the same as usual!
It’s likely that they’ll have good days and bad days so it can be difficult not knowing what they’re going to be like until you get there, but the most important thing to remember is that it is OK to feel upset by seeing someone you love look unwell.
What should I say when I get there?
It’s normal to worry about what to say to your loved one when they are in the hospital, especially when you’re seeing them in an environment that is so different – for example, they might be in a gown or pyjamas when usually you only ever see them in a jumper and jeans!
Just being there for them can make a big difference, and you can talk about ordinary things such as school, friends or your hobbies, or you can ask them how they are feeling. Depending on their interests they might want to know about things they’ve missed, the football results or what’s happening in the news, and of course they might have hospital ward gossip they want to tell you about…
What can I do if I’m struggling?
Hospital visits can feel quite emotional, and it’s perfectly OK to cry or feel sad. You might also feel numb or guilty for wanting to leave, or relieved when it’s over. It can be quite upsetting to see someone you love (or even other people around them) looking unwell, and there is no right way to feel during or after a hospital visit.
It is also important to remember that if you are unsure about something, you can ask adults or hospital staff to explain things – it’s also OK to take breaks or have a shorter visit if you need to. If you feel upset, it might be worth talking with someone you trust, such as your family or friends, and don’t forget we offer regular and ad-hoc one-to-one support sessions for anyone aged 5-25 in the UK when a loved one is seriously ill.
Remember that whilst it might feel scary, you are not alone and it is normal to feel however you feel.
